Crossing-bell.



E. W. VOGELA CROSSING BELL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6. 1914.

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APPLICATION men NOV. 6. 1914.

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I E 1 I 1 I Original application tiled June 5, 1914,

EUGENE w. voenn, or can PARK,

ILLINOIS.

caossrne-nnnn specification of Letters Patent. I

v ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOJE TO CHICA RAILWAY SIGNAL AND SUPPLY COMPANY, OF GABPENTERSVILLE, ILLINOIS,

A COQTION 0h lPatented Sept. iii, ithil.

serial No. 843,226. Divided and this application filed November 6,

1914i. Serial No. 870,617.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EUGENE a citizen of the United States, residing at Oak Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in GrossingBells, oi which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an electrically operated signal bell. of the type employed at a railway grade crossing to give warning automatically of the approach of a train; devices of this character being commonly called highway crossing bells.

One of the principal objects of the inven' tion is to provide a device of this type in which the bell, the mechanism for ringing the same, and the casing elements for hous= ing said mechanism are so arranged with respect to each other and the support on which they are sustained, that the bell ring" ing mechanism will be readily accessible for repair or adjustment without demounting' the bell or other operative parts of theap paratus, or disconnecting any of the wires leading to the actuating mechanism. By reason of this construction the repair and readjustment of the mechanismis very considerably facilitated since the repair man may test his work as he goes along without having to re-assemble parts or make connections with the possibility always of discovering that the mechanism required a different adjustment. If the bell, for example, has to be removed in order to give access to the ringing mechanism the repair man may very likely find, after he has completed his job and replaced the bell, that the ringing mechanism is not proper adjustment with the bell. In other words, the repair man must, in every case, make his adjustments by guess work, removing and replacing the bell each time until the proper adjustment has been obtained. This inconvenience is done away with entirely by the arrangements of my present invention.

A further object of the invention is to ,provide a housing for the actuating mechain its character and these devices are ngcesother new sarily exposed-to the weather and to dust, and often carry lights so that insects are attracted into their neighborhood.

The mventionhas for further objects such and lmp-roved constructions, arrangements and devices relating to highway crossing bells as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein- F1gure 1 1s a view, in elevation, of a highway crossing bell constructed in accordance with my invention, the hinged housing member w1th the bell and its actuatmg mechanism being shown as swung out from the fixed member of the housing.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the device taken approximately on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 with the parts in closed position.

Fig. 3 is a view, in perspective, of the weather shield which extends over the top of the bell, and

Fig. 4 is a detail section illustrating a modified form of gasket used between the fixed and hinged members of the housing.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in the several figures oi the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, 10 is ahollow post or support to which a housing member 11 is secured by means of the U-bolts 12. A housing member-l3 is hinged at 14: to the fixed housing member 11. The bell 15 is secured by the screw bolt 16 to a boss 17 on the hinged housing member 13. The

bell is sounded by means of a reciprocating clapper 18 which is actuated by a mechacured to the hinged housing member '13.

The electric wires 20 for supplying current to the mechanism 19 extend through an opening 21 in the fixed housing member 11 and an opening 22 registering with opening 21 in the supporting post 10. 18 operates through an opening 23 in the The clapper top of the housing member 13 which is protected from the weather by a curved shield 24 formed with an inturned flange 25 secured by screws 26 to a rib 27 on the housing member 13. The fixed housing member 11 is formed with a pair of outstanding, circumferential ribs 28, 29 providing a groove in which is arranged a tubular rubber washer 30 (Fig. 2). The hinged casing member 13 is formed with a rib 31 which overlaps the rib 29 of the other housing member and with a rib 32 which bears against the gasket 30. The housing members are formed with perforated lugs 33 for a padlock or other suitable locking device. It will be seen that when the hinged housing member is secured in place against the fixed housing member the mechanism 19 is completely incased and protected against rain, snow, sleet, dust, insects, and the like. The only opening in the housing is the opening 23 through which the clapper projects, and foreign matter is prevented from entering the housing at this point by the shield 24 which incloses the upper portion of the bell.

As a modification the gasket groove in the fixed housing member may be formed as shown at 34 (Fig. 4), and a solid gasket 35 employed instead of the tubular gasket 30.

As shown in Fig. 1, access may be had to the bell ringing mechanism 19 without removing the bell and without disconnecting any wire, by simply swinging the hinged housing member back on its hinge. This facilitates the repair and re-adjustment of the mechanism, as above stated. By having the bell and the bell ringing mechanism mounted on a hinged support or housing member the signaling apparatus may be placed on a post or support below the upper end thereof, as indicated in Fig. 1. However, the device of my invention'might be placed at the upper end of the post if desired.

While I have described the invention in certain preferred embodiments, modificafication with respect to the form, construction and arrangement of the parts of the apparatus might be made without departure from the principles of the invention. Therefore I do not wish to be limited to the exact constructions, arrangements and devices shown and described except so far as specified in the claims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with signaling mechanism, of a-housing for supporting and inclosing the same comprising a pair of housing members, one adapted to be secured to a support and the other hinged to the first named member, one of said inembers being formed with a pair of circumferential ribs constituting a groove and the other with a flange adapted to overlap the outer one of said ribs and with a rib within said flange, and a gasket in said groove against which said last named rib bears.

2. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with signaling mechanism, of a housing for'supporting and inclosing the same comprising a pair of housing members, one adapted to be secured to a support and the other hinged to the first named member, one of said. members being formed with a pair of circumferential ribs constituting a groove and the other with a flange adapted to overlap the outer one of said ribs and with a rib within said flange, and compressible gaskets in said groove in which said last named rib bears.

3. In apparatus of the character. described, .the combination Withsignaling mechanism, of a housing for supporting and inclosing the, same comprising a pair of housing members, one adapted to be secured to a support and the other hinged to the first named member, one of said members being formed with a pair of circumferential ribs constituting a groove and the other with a flange adapted to overlap the outer one of said ribs and with a rib within said flange, a gasket in said groove against which said last named rib bears, and a bell secured to and inclosing said hinged housing member.

4. In apparatus of the character described, ,the combination with signaling mechanism, of a housing for supporting and inclosing the same comprising a pair of housing members, one adapted to be secured to a support and the other hinged to the first named member, one of said members being formed with a pair of circumferential ribs constituting a groove and the other with a flange adapted to overlap the outer one of said ribs and with a rib within said flange, a gasket in said groove against which said last named rib bears, and a bell secured to and inclosing said hinged housing member said mechanism being mounted in said hinged housing member.

5. In apparatus of the character described,

the combination with a'housing member adapted to be sustained in a fixed position, of a hollow housing member hinged to said first named member, a bell secured to one side of said hinged housing member and surrounding the same so that its edge stands close to the housing, and bell ringing mechanism secured within and surrounded by said hinged housing member.

6. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a housing member adapted to be sustained in a fixed position, of a housing member hinged to said first named member, a bell secured to said hinged housing member and surrounding the same, bell ringing mechanism supported within said hinged housing member, and aweather shield which extends over the upper portion of said hinged housin member and said bell. 7. In apparatus of t e character described, the combination with a housing member adapted to be sustained in a fixed position, a housing member hinged to said first named member, a bell secured to said hinged housing member and surrounding the same, bell ringing mechanism supported within said hinged housing member, a weather shield which extends over the upper portion of said hinged housing member and said bell, said housing member being formed with interlocking flanges, and a flexible gasket arranged to be engaged by said flanges when the housing members are brought together. 8. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a housing member adapted to be sustained in a fixed position, of a housing member hinged to the first named member, a bell secured to said hinged housing member and surrounding the same,

and bell ringing mechanism supported Within said hinged housing member, a weather shield extending over the upper portion of said hin ed housing member and bell provided with a down turned flange, and a curved rib on said hinged housing member to which the flange on said Weather shield is secured. 9. In apparatus of the character described,

7 the combination with a hollow support, of a housing member secured to said support, a

housing member hinged to the first named member, a bell secured to the outside of said hinged housing member and arranged so that its edge Will stand close to said housing, a Weather shield extending over said bell, and electrically operated bell ringing mechanism arranged within and secured to said hinged housing member, said hollow support and fixed housing member having registering openings for the electrical connections for said bell operating mechanism.

10. In apparatus of the character described, the combination with a fixed housing member, of a housing member hinged thereto a bell inclosing said housing member and secured thereto so that its ed e will stand close to the housing, and bell ringing apparatus inclosed Within and carried by said hinged housing member.

11. In apparatus of the class described, a flat supporting member, a hollow housing member hinged to said supporting member and forming with it an inclosed space, a bell ringing mechanism located in said space and secured to said hinged member adapted to be exposed when "the hinged member is swung open, and a bell secured to the exterior of said hinged member and surrounding it.

EUGENE W. VOGEL. Witnesses:

L. A. FALKENBERG, J. B. LAGoRIo, Jr.

all

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